Mathura, located 50 km north of Agra and 150 km south of Delhi, is one of the seven holiest cities for the Hindus. It is an ancient city and presently the headquarters of the Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh state, India. The city had a glorious past and the city and its hinterlands had remained associated with many incidents and stories as narrated in the Mahabharata, one of the largest and ancient epics. The historical facts indicate that Mathura was located on the caravan routes and was also a center of commercial activities.
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Hotels and lodging
- Best Western Radha Ashok
- Masani Bypass Road, Mathura, India
Attractions
The antiquity of the city of Mathura gives it a unique charm of its own. While moving from one place to other in and around Mathura, you shall find the mystical and devotional side of India unfolding before you. You shall find 1000s of devotees from many parts of India who come here to have a glimpse of the eternal lover and yogi, Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, one of the gods of the Hindus. Some major points in Mathurs are:
- Shri Krishna Janma Bhumi, the place where people believe that Krishna was born.
- Jama Masjid of Mathura, a mosque built in 1661 by Abo-in Nabir-Khan. It is a massive structure with four minarets.
- Vishram Ghat, on the bank of the Yamuna River, where Krishna is believed to have taken rest after killing the tyrant king of Mathura, Kansha.
- Dwarakadheesh Temple, literally meaning a temple dedicated to the king of Dwarika (Dwarakadheesh being a euphemism for Krishan, who ruled Dwarika, on the western coast of India), was built in 1814. It is the main temple of Mathura.
- Gita Mandir is also a temple and is situated on the outskirts of the city. The temple is famous for its engravings and paintings on the walls.
- Government Museum is located near Dampier Park, and has many collections of archeological interests from the period 400 BC until 1200 AD.
- Around Mathura
There are many places of tourist and religious interest around Mathura:
- Barsana
- Nandgaon
- Gokul
- Baldeo
- Vrindavan
- Goverdhan
- RadhaKund
- Mant
Shopping
Maps and transportation
Getting to Mathura
Unless you want to partake into the festivities mostly of religious nature, you may take a day trip to Mathura and nearby places like Vrindavan from Delhi by road.
Exploring Mathura
Practical information and resources
- Currency: Rupee (INR)
- Time zone: IST (UTC+5:30)
- Language: Hindi. But, you may mange with Simple English.
- Language Tips:
Restaurants
Mathura offers the visitors some of the best vegetarian delicacies and sweets prepared from milk and milk products of north India. An eatery, named the Bhojanalaya (that is, the house of foods) is attached to the International Guest House. The Bojanalaya offers a variety of vegetarian and sweet dishes. The timings are from 11 am to 3 pm and from 7 pm to 10 pm. Another hotel named Hotel Brijraj located just adjacent to the Shri Krishna Janma Bhumi Temple serves good snacks and Indian fast foods like Dosa, a south Indian delicacy. The Brijwasi Mithai Wala shop also serves many sweets and snacks. The Best Western Radha Ashok (located on the Masani By-pass Road) is good for its multi-cuisine dishes.
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Nightlife
The nightlife in Mathura and adjoining areas of Vrindavan mainly revolves round the temples and singing and chanting of devotional songs.
Photo gallery
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Everything else
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External resources
Add links to other sites here
- Places around mathura - this page from the government's website details information about places of tourist interests around Mathura
- Mathura & Vrindavan from Rumela's Web contains some interesting information about the place.
| Phrase in English | Phrase in Hindi |
| Hello | Namaste |
| Yes | Haan |
| No | Nahin |
| Thank you | Shukriya |
| How are you? | Aap kaise hain? |
| Nice to meet you? | Aapse milke khushi hui? |
| What is the price? | Kya daam hai? |